Introduction

1NewYear'sDayinUnitedStatesNewYear'sDayfallsonJanuary1andmarksthestartofanewyearaccordingtotheGregoriancalendar.ItmarkstheendofNewYear'sEvecelebrationsintheUnitedStatesandgivesmanyAmericansachancetorememberthepreviousyear.Whatdopeopledo?ThestartofNewYear'sDay,atmidnight,isindicatedbyfireworks,partiesandspecialevents,whichareoftentelevised.Veryfewpeoplehavetoworkonthedayitself.FormanyitisadayofrecoveryfromtheNewYear'sEvecelebrationsthepreviousnight.Insometownsandcities,paradesareheldandspecialfootballgamesareplayed.ThebirthofthefirstbabyintheNewYearisoftencelebratedwithgiftstohisorherparentsandappearancesinlocalnewspapersandonlocalnewsshows.ManypeoplemakeNewYear'sresolutions.Theseareusuallypromisestothemselvesthattheywillimprovesomethingintheirownlives.CommonNewYear'sresolutionsaretostopsmokingordrinkingalcohol,toloseweight,exercisemoreortoliveahealthierlifestyle.1.WhatindicatesthestartofNewYear’sDay?2EpiphanyinGermanyEpiphanyisannuallycelebratedinGermanyonJanuary6tomarktheMagi's(orthreewisemen's)visittobabyJesus.ItisalsotheendoftheChristmasseason.TheGermanstatesofBaden-Wuerttemberg,BavariaandSaxony-Anhaltcelebrateitaspublicholiday.Whatdopeopledo?SomepeopleinGermanyattendaspecialchurchserviceonEpiphany.IfthechurchhashadacribdisplayduringtheChristmasperiod,thefiguresrepresentingtheMagiareplacedinthecribonJanuary6.Peoplewithacribsceneathomedothesame.ChildrenlearnaboutthestoryofthethreewisemenandmayactoutthewholeChristmasstory.Homesandstablesinruralareasarecleansedbyburningfrankincenseandallowingthesmoketospreadthroughtherooms.PeopleinsomeareasgatheronEpiphanyEve(January5)todrinktothehealthandluckoffamilyandfriendsinthecomingyear.Specialbeerknownasbockbeerisbrewedforthispurpose.Thistypeofbeerhasastrongertasteandahigherpercentageofalcoholthanotherbeers.GroupsofchildrengofromhousetohousedressedasthethreewisemenbetweenDecember27andJanuary6.TheyknockonthedoorofeachhouseandsinghymnsabouttheJesus'birthandtheMagi'svisit.Ifthedoorisopened,theyaskformoneyforaspecificcharity.1.WhatwineisusedtocelebratethecomingyearonEpiphanyEve?3LittleNewYearNewYear(Chinese:Xiaonian),whichfallsaboutaweekbeforethelunarNewYear,isalsoknownastheFestivaloftheKitchenGod,thedeitywhooverseesthemoralcharacterofeachhousehold.InoneofthemostdistinctivetraditionsofSpringFestival,apaperimageoftheKitchenGodisburnedonLittleNewYear,dispatchingthegod'sspirittoHeaventoreportonthefamily'sconductoverthepastyear.TheKitchenGodisthenwelcomedbackbypastinganewpaperimageofhimbesidethestove.Fromthisvantagepoint,theKitchenGodwilloverseeandprotectthehouseholdforanotheryear.ThecloseassociationoftheKitchenGodwiththeLunarNewYearhasresultedinKitchenGodFestivalbeingcalledLittleNewYear.AlthoughveryfewfamiliesstillmakeofferingstotheKitchenGodonthisday,manytraditionalholidayactivitiesarestillverypopular.HonoringtheKitchenGod.TherearenumerouscustomsassociatedwithhonoringtheKitchenGodanddeterminingthedateoftheKitchenGodFestival,orLittleNewYear.Thedateofthisholidaywassometimesassignedaccordingtolocation,withpeopleinnorthernChinacelebratingitonthetwenty-thirddayofthetwelfthlunarmonth,andpeopleinsouthernChinacelebratingitonthetwenty-fourth.ThedateofLittleNewYearwasalsotraditionallydeterminedaccordingtoprofession.Traditionally,feudalofficialsmadetheirofferingstotheKitchenGodonthetwenty-third,thecommonpeopleonthetwenty-fourth,andcoastalfishingpeopleonthetwenty-fifth.Thepersonofficiatingatthesacrificialriteswasgenerallythemaleheadofthehousehold.1.WhichkindsofpeoplearecelebratingLittleNewYearindifferentdates?4SpringFestivalThefirstdayofthefirstlunarmonthisregardedastheNewYearoftheChinese–theSpringFestival.ItisthemostimportantceremonioustraditionalfestivalinChina.DuringtheSpringFestival,everyfamilyisbusycleaninghouseinthehopeofgettingridofdirtinessandpreventingdiseases.Also,theyneedtopastedoor-god,springfestivalcouplets,andthereversedChinesecharacter福(meansblessing),andhangflagsinthehopeofprayingforgoodluckintheNewYear.OntheNewYear'sEve,everyfamilyenjoysagranddinner,shootsofffirecrackers,playsdragondanceandliondance,andstaysuplateorallnight.PeoplewillpayaNewYearcalltooneanotherfromthefirstday,anditisnotuntilthe15thdayofthe1stlunarmonth,namely,theLanternFestival,thattheSpringFestivalisended.InNewYear'sdays,elderswillputsomemoneyinaredpocket(yasuiqian)andgiveittochildrenasagift.ItisbelievedthatonNewYear'sDayattentionshouldbepaidtoensurenottobreakupanything,orelseonewillmissgoodfortunesinthewholeyear,andthatsweepingthefloorwillsweepoffwealthanddriveawaygoodluck.TraditionalfoodpreparedfortheSpringFestivalvarieswithcustomsindifferentregions.However,thosewithauspiciousnames,meaningsorshapesarefavored,suchasNewYearCake(niangaoinChinese,meanshigheryear,suggestingbetterfortuneinthenewyear,andhastheshapeofgoldandsilverblocks),dumplings,theshapeofwhichissimilartoingots,suggestingbringinginwealthandtreasure,aswellasfishsymbolizingamassingfortunes.1.WhatdopeopledoforprayingforgoodluckintheNewYear?5LanternFestivalLanternFestival,alsocalledShangyuanFestival,iscelebratedonJanuary15ofChineselunarcalen